David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband are making the biggest “blunder” yet of the pro-UK campaign by making a last-minute trip to Scotland ahead of next week’s independence referendum, the First Minister said.
Alex Salmond hit out after it was announced the Prime Minister and Labour leader are to miss Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday to come to Scotland in a bid to drum up support for the union.
The First Minister claimed: “The message of this extraordinary, last-minute reaction is that the Westminster elite are in a state of absolute panic as the ground in Scotland shifts under their feet.”
In a joint statement the Tory leader, the Labour leader and the Liberal Democrat leader said they wanted to be out “listening and talking to voters” about the choice they face on September 18.
It comes after the leaders of the three main pro-union parties in Scotland joined forces to pledge more powers for Scotland if voters reject independence.
Mr Cameron said: “Let’s be frank, there’s a lot that the political leaders disagree about but there’s one thing that we all agree about passionately and that is that our United Kingdom is better off if we stay together.
“So tomorrow the right place to be isn’t Westminster at Prime Minister’s Questions, it is being in Scotland, listening to people, talking to people.”
As the three Westminster leaders declared their plans, the saltire was hoisted over Number 10 Downing Street.
But that was not without problems, with the Scottish flag initially making it part of the way up the flagpole before falling down.
Afterwards Mr Salmond hit out: “The No campaign is in complete and utter disarray, and they are making this farce up as they go along.”
A Panelbase poll for the pro-independence campaign group Yes Scotland earlier this month found that fewer than a fifth of Scots (19%) trust Mr Cameron to stand up for Scotland’s interests, with just 17% believing Mr Miliband would do this and 12% trusting Mr Clegg to do so.
Mr Salmond said: “Together, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg are the most distrusted Westminster politicians ever – and their collective presence in Scotland will be another massive boost for the Yes campaign.”
The SNP leader added: “The No campaign think that they are losing this campaign – and these hugely distrusted Westminster leaders trooping up to Scotland is only going to boost that process.
“It is also a commentary on the farcical event of their three Scottish representatives today, who had barely finished their press conference when it was obviously judged to be completely ineffective.
“The No campaign are making blunder after blunder, but this is by far the biggest yet.”